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Blue Merle dogs - genetics

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I was asked what problems were associated with breeding Blue Merle dogs together and couldn't give a clear answer. Can someone help me?

Krickette Mon, 08/02/2010 - 08:42

I have heard that double merles can be blind or deaf, though i know people who have bred merle to merle for decades and never had a problem. Australian shepherds and blue heelers are super popular around here (mostly mixes of the two breeds)

anyway, this site and a few others seem to be faily up to snuff
http://www.lethalwhites.com/doublemerle…" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Crias Mon, 08/02/2010 - 09:04

I think the genetics on blue/red heeler merle are different than aussies, shelties and collie merling, which is where you get the lethal white problems. I have never heard of heelers being associated with that gene and know that they are often bred without any issues.

Songcatcher Mon, 08/02/2010 - 11:02

[quote="Crias"]I think the genetics on blue/red heeler merle are different than aussies, shelties and collie merling, which is where you get the lethal white problems. I have never heard of heelers being associated with that gene and know that they are often bred without any issues.[/quote]
I thought the heelers were the result of crossing the Aussies back with something else. Maybe it's the other way around?

Jenks Mon, 08/02/2010 - 11:12

Heelers are australian cattle dogs, then there are australian sheep dogs....I think Crias meant the sheep dog when she said Aussie?

Whether it's blue or red based, merle is seperate, it's not specifically "blue" merles with a problem, it's double merle on any base color.

http://abnormality.purpleflowers.net/ge…" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Where's Judith?

Songcatcher Mon, 08/02/2010 - 13:39

[quote="Jenks"]Heelers are australian cattle dogs, then there are australian sheep dogs....I think Crias meant the sheep dog when she said Aussie?

Whether it's blue or red based, merle is seperate, it's not specifically "blue" merles with a problem, it's double merle on any base color.

http://abnormality.purpleflowers.net/ge…" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Where's Judith?[/quote]
Thanks. That link had the information I was looking for.

Danni Sun, 08/08/2010 - 21:33

The roan colour that Heelers/Aust Cattle dogs have is nothing to do with merle.

That first link explains the merle to merle breeding pretty well. It's usually considered a no no simply because of that chance of abnormal puppies. I honestly haven't seen all that many known homozygous merles that can live a completely normal life. Happy life yes, but they are limited enough that I'm not sure deliberately breeding for them is the best idea. Deafness I think is more noticeable in a dog than a horse? The common eye problems in the homozygous merles are probably more of an issue though, like being born with no eyes!

I have border collies, and it is a major no no, but obviously in the Aussies merle to merle happens all the time. With maybe not as many problems as the border collie breeders would have us believe *shrugs* make your own decision I guess!

Danni Mon, 08/09/2010 - 20:41

I'm not sure what's called, other than roan or ticking? It's the same gene I think that your blue tic hounds have? ACD's just call it blue LOL! That link you gave only gives genetics for the base colours, not the 'roan'!

They are born black and white, or any other color and white etc.. But all the white parts grow in the roaning/ticking.

Simple dominant gene, most ACD's are homozygous for it, cross them with anything else and any white on the puppies gets the ticking as they mature. The ticking colour obviously being whatever the base colour would be if the white wasn't there.

Daylene Alford Tue, 08/10/2010 - 07:11

[quote]I'm not sure what's called, other than roan or ticking? It's the same gene I think that your blue tic hounds have? ACD's just call it blue LOL! That link you gave only gives genetics for the base colours, not the 'roan'!

They are born black and white, or any other color and white etc.. But all the white parts grow in the roaning/ticking.[/quote]

This it is the same gene that bluetick and redtick coonhounds carry.

rodeoratdogs Sat, 08/14/2010 - 10:37

My mom is like mother Teresa for animals and she took in 2 blind dogs, one was a blue merle Sheltie and the other a blue merle austrailian sheperd. The Sheltie was actually born without eyes and the Aussie had blue eyes but it was blind from birth.